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Sydney FC have completed their historic record-breaking season, taking the 2016/17 crown with one of the greatest grand final wins in the A-League’s short history.
All the wash-up from the A-League grand final
» Recap: Sydney are champs, as they deserve
» Five talking points from the match
» Player ratings: Melbourne Victory
» Player ratings: Sydney FC
» Georgievski wins Joe Marston Medal
» Full match report
Final score
Sydney FC 1 (4)
Melbourne Victory 1 (2)
We’ve finally reached the pinnacle of the season as the record-breaking Sydney FC go head to head with arch-rivals Melbourne Victory in the 2017 A-League grand final. Catch all the live scores, highlights and action on The Roar from 5pm (AEST).
The “Big Blue” will take centre stage with the top two sides from the season finding their way to the decider. It’s going to be the biggest of blues.
>> Check out the full match preview here
>> Complete season head-to-head history
>> How to watch, stream online
>> Start time, venue, squads
Sydney has broken a host of A-League records this season in what has been the most dominant side of the competition’s history, setting new benchmarks for most points, most wins, most clean sheets, best goal difference, fewest goals conceded. You get the point.
They’ve gone through 28 games this season having only tasted defeat once, a 1-0 derby loss to the Wanderers in Round 20.
Following the week off from the opening round of the finals, the Sky Blues were straight back into their winning ways last week, getting past the Perth Glory in a controversial semi-final.
Two of Sydney’s three goals came out of the polarising new video referral system, guiding them to a three-zip victory and a home grand final.
On the other side of the park, Melbourne has similarly jumped past the quarter-finals into a win last week, this time over the Brisbane Roar.
Goal-scoring machine Besart Berisha was the difference once again in the 1-0 victory, as the Albanian continued his deadly form in finals football over the past few seasons.
Despite a slow start to the season and finishing a mile back from Sydney in the Premiers Plate race, Victory have been the clear main threat to the Sky Blues’ campaign having finished well ahead of Brisbane Roar and even further from their cross-town rivals, Melbourne City.
Victory will have to turn around a painful run in the Big Blue if they want to take the title, having lost all three contests against Sydney this season for the first time in the competition’s history.
Sydney will have to continue to break more marks this season to win get the trophy. Across the 41-game history of these two clubs, no side has ever won four games on the trot.
Team News
Neither side has made any cuts to their semi-final sides with everyone coming through into the decider unscathed.
George Blackwood and Seb Ryall have been brought back into an extended match day squad for the Sky Blues.
And on the other side of the park, Victory coach Kevin Muscat will also be stocking up his numbers with the additions of George Howard and Stefan Nigro into the side.
Prediction
This should be an outstanding game if both sides come out firing. We know how good Sydney are at the moment and we know that they’re all but unbeatable, however, we know the striking power of Berisha and we know that the Victory is one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the competition.
It should be a huge head to head battle with a mountain of passion and emotion running through the players, but it’s hard to see Sydney not lifting the trophy after a season like this one.
Sydney to win 2-1
Catch all the live scores, highlights and action on The Roar from 5pm (AEST).